Rare bird sighting ups better ecosystem hope

Freny Fernandes,TNN | Oct 15, 2015, 01.19 PM IST

THANE: The news of a rare sighting of the Oriental Darter bird at Bhandup pumping station on Wednesday morning has been received with great joy by environmental lists in and around the city.

The number of Oriental Darters or snake birds, a near-threatened species of migratory birds, has been declining over the years because of increasing pollution levels and this sighting comes as a ray of hope for the eco-system here, say green activists. 

"The Oriental Darter birds are water birds distributed along the coastal wetlands. They thrive in clean and unpolluted water where there is plenty of fish as they are a majorly fish eating species," said Kishor Dudhe, a research analyst at the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). 

"Over the years, the high level of pollution in water bodies has made the visibility under water low as well as affected the quantity of fish, thus affecting the birds that feed on them That is why the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has put the Oriental Darter species in the near-threatened category," he added. 

This rare bird was spotted by Avinash Bhagat, a member of Thane-based Pary avaran Dakshata Manch who recently co-authored a book on the birds of Thane creek along with a group of 35 students of Thane's Lokpuram School during a nature trail at Bhandup pumping station on Wednesday morning. 

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Rare treat for birdwatchers: a snake bird nesting colony

Darpan Singh, Hindustan Times New Delhi, August 28, 2014

Birdwatchers in Delhi are chirping with delight at the rare sight of an oriental darter nesting colony at the Okhla Sanctuary, the first time the bird has built a colony in this part of Asia, say experts.

The darter, also called the snake bird because of its long snake-like neck that is the only visible part of its body when it swims underwater, has been sighted in Delhi earlier, but a nesting colony is unusual.

"It has never happened before. So far, 14 of these birds have been seen at the sanctuary," said ecologist TK Roy. "While there is a decline in bird diversity and population, spotting of threatened bird species is a pleasant surprise."

The 400-hectare sanctuary on the Delhi-Noida border has a large lake - created by the construction of a barrage over the Yamuna river - which serves as a bird habitat, with 330 species recorded so far.

The darter presents a fascinating sight when it spears a fish and tosses it in the air before swallowing it. The bird, one among 173 listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as threatened bird species in the Indian sub-continent, is also one of two existing darter species in Asia.

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